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Re: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna - Ideas

To: "'Gene Smar'" <ersmar@verizon.net>, <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna - Ideas
From: "Scott MacKenzie" <kb0fhp@comcast.net>
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2008 19:13:21 -0500
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
I will try that...tying the ends together.  As it stands now, connecting the
loop to the tuner in normal fashion, I am able to get a 3:1 match.  So there
is hope.  I also use a 80M vertical with a capacitance hat (39 feet tall
with two wires 29' long in a upside down V) and that works well - even with
a minimum of radials - about five 60' long.  That gives me an SWR of !:! In
the DX portion of 80M.  I really should use more radials to lower the
impedance and a 2:1 to increase it properly.  

I can look at doing something similar for 160M, and using more wires for a
capacitance hat.

Thank you....my CW isn't fast enough anymore to play contest this weekend.
I am listening though....

Is there a minimum size needed for radials?  I use #14 stranded THHN as that
is what I have available.  Can I get away with magnet wire?

Thanks again.

Scott 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gene Smar [mailto:ersmar@verizon.net] 
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 7:06 PM
To: Scott MacKenzie; towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna - Ideas

Scott:

     Tying the feedline leads from your loop together is supposed to work. 
But keep in mind that it is this parallel pair of wires that does most of
the radiating - they form a vertical antenna, some of which is inside your
shack.  The loop is more of a top-hat capacitive load than a major radiating
element in this configuration.

     Because you have only one wire lead leaving your transmitter with this
arrangement (the para;;e;ed feedline conductors) you will need to provide a
decent RF ground, if you don't already have one, for your station's radio
chassis.  Otherwise, your entire shack will be hot with RF trying to find
its way back to Mother Earth.  (Your mic will be hot.)

     If this doesn't work for you, you can still install an outdoor vertical
wire among the trees.  Your ground system would then have to consist of as
many wires as you can fit into your small lot (my lot is also small and I
was able to manage a 64-foot tower plus triband Yagi that I feed on 160M
plus an inverted L, also for 160M.  My ground system has only a few 1/4 WL
ground radial wires; most are short but I have lots of 'em.)


73 de
Gene Smar  AD3F


----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott MacKenzie" <kb0fhp@comcast.net>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 6:47 PM
Subject: [TowerTalk] 160M Antenna - Ideas


>I have a small yard - a very small yard.  I use an 80M loop and it takes up
> 3/4 of my yard.  Needless to say, I do not have space for 120 radials 100
> feet long.  I have height - a lot of tall trees.  My interest in DX.  I 
> know
> that will be a problem, but I will be thankful for what I get.
>
> Any suggestions?  Would tying the leads of the 80M loop into a single and
> feeding it as a vertical work?
>
> Thanks
>
> Scott. AKA kb0fhp
> _______________________________________________
>
>
>
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> TowerTalk mailing list
> TowerTalk@contesting.com
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